Rep. Sam Verzosa, Tutok To Win Partylist Representative (Tutok To Win Partylist photo)
A neophyte in the partylist setup in the House of Representatives, Tutok to Win, is one among 55 proclaimed winners in the May 2022 elections with 685,578 votes. As ninth of 178 partylist candidates, it has hit the ground running behind the initiative of first nominee Rep. Sam Verzosa, a businessman, philanthropist and chief executive of a rapidly expanding direct selling company in the health, beauty and wellness industry known as Frontrow.
According to its official profile, Tutok to Win Partylist “represents the urban poor sector and aims to advance the welfare of the indigent population residing in urban areas” by promoting sustainable livelihood, progressive education, accessible healthcare, affordable housing and other social services to aid the marginalized elderly and youth.
Brought to the public’s attention by the Tutok to Win game show hosted by TV personality Willie Revillame, the partylist is focused on serving and helping the marginalized sector of society.
Now Rep. Verzosa has taken the business collaboration to an entirely different level. He has added to pure entertainment the noble undertaking that is public service, touching the lives of a larger population on a wider scale with humanitarian work during typhoons and other calamities, and assistance to jeepney drivers, indigent scholars, charity institutions and budding entrepreneurs, among others.
“I never planned to seek public office,” said Rep. Verzosa. “It all started when some of my friends and volunteers realized we were helping a lot of people with our charity events and activities even before the pandemic. Some of them said that I would be able to help more people if I go into public service. That’s how the Tutok to Win Party-list was born. It started out of the passion of our volunteers to help those who are in need. So here we are. So far, it’s been a great experience and I’m so grateful to all our volunteers as well as our beneficiaries for giving us the opportunity to be of service.”
(Tutok To Win Partylist photo)
Currently the president of Maserati Philippines and executive director of Ferrari, Rep. Verzosa has blazed an early trail in Congress worthy of his supercars.
In his first few months, according to the partylist account, Rep. Verzosa “championed House Bill 4827 or the E-Skwela Act” seeking to create E-Skwela Hubs in every barangay or district in the country in order to aid underprivileged learners who have limited or no access to computers, printers, the internet, and other digital learning tools and equipment.
He also pushed for the enactment of House Bill 4829 or the Online Philippine Pharmacy Act (OPPA) of 2022 to regulate online pharmacies and to combat the proliferation of fake and substandard medicines.
Rep. Verzosa supported the passage of House Bill 4828 or the Poor Job Applicants Discount Act which provides 20 percent discount on government-issued employment requirements such as certificates and clearances.
Currently, he is the vice chairperson of four House committees –on poverty alleviation, social services, disaster resilience, and welfare of children. He is also a member of the committees on appropriations, higher and technical education, housing and urban development, and special committee on flagship programs and projects.
A University of the Philippines graduate and a licensed civil engineer, Rep. Verzosa, who grew up in Sampaloc, Manila, co-founded Frontrow International in 2008 at 26 years old, and Frontrow Cares, its Corporate Social Responsibility arm which has extended assistance to more than 100 charities, hospitals and institutions, so far.
Rep. Verzosa was named “Outstanding Businessman of the Year” by the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Foundation, “Philanthropist of the Year” by the American Association of the Philippines, “Visionary of the Year” by the Asian Network Convention and Expo (ANCE).